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Last summer, thirty of our Pr. 5 girls went on a study tour in the UK between 19th July and 2nd August 2013. This initiative, which was co-organised by the School and Excel Academy (UK), aims to extend the language learning experience by giving students an opportunity to acquire English in an authentic context. The girls were not only able to experience English boarding school life, but also had the chance to attend stimulating classes on Public Speaking, Drama and Language Arts daily.

Our students, teachers and parent helpers stayed at Epsom College for the 14-night study tour. A typical day begins with an uphill walk to the dining hall, where girls converse with their peers and course tutors as they enjoy the scrumptious food served buffet-style there. Girls are then split into groups for dynamic lessons which strengthen

their communication, team-building and creative thinking skills. The five excursions embedded in the programme allowed our students to visit some of the finest castles and palaces in the country. Girls also enjoyed the award-winning musical, The Lion King, immensely on their visit to London and immersed themselves in the academic yet scenic Cambridge. On their final evening at Epsom, our students staged a performance comprising drama, dance and singing, which showcased their talents and enabled our parents to share the fruits of their learning.

Students expressed in their feedback that their experience was an enjoyable one. Our teachers and parent helpers were also able to

observe how keenly the girls engaged in the programme. We look forward to exploring more authentic language learning opportunities for our girls in future.

English Curriculum Enhancement Programme – UK study tour

DGJS

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Our Colourful CampusDGJS girls now enjoy the ambiance brought about by the addition of mural paintings around the school. The visual detail in their surroundings livens up their learning experience and bolsters school spirit.

Music Activity Centre and Instrumental Practice RoomsIt is hard not to notice the lighthearted mural paintings on the external walls and doors of the Music Activity Centre and Instrumental Practice Rooms. Under the warm sun and a flamboyant rainbow, DGJS girls were featured to be singing or playing various musical instruments in their beautiful campus. The musical notes that dance on the walls welcome our musicians to the wonderful world of music.

Art GardenThe mural painting in the Art Garden features students participating in their favourite art activities. Let your imagination take flight as you look at the girls in the picture do artwork in the countryside with gigantic paint bottles scattered all around them. The courage to dream is indeed all it takes for our young artists to breathe life into their art.

Chinese Culture RoomThe external wall and windows of the Chinese Culture Room were decorated to resemble the traditional Chinese architecture and scenery in Suzhou. Stepping into the room gives you the feeling of entering a space of peace and tranquility. Such an atmosphere is perfect for students to truly appreciate the wisdom of classical Chinese readings and activities.

Primary One WashroomMural paintings featuring the theme “A Journey Around the World” were applied on the walls and doors of cubicles of the Primary One washroom. After its transformation, the often neglected place now enhances students’ awareness of washroom etiquette. Not only will our students appreciate the efforts of our janitors, but they also learn to be considerate whenever they use the washroom, thus leaving behind a clean and tidy area for other users.

The doorway of the washroom, which symbolises the start of the journey and the origin of the world, features a scene in Africa, where a group of timid animals are hiding in the woods of a forest. Stepping inside, you will notice that the animals are no longer timid but are instead chatting, playing and running joyfully on the great plains of Africa while giving a warm welcome to their visitors. This mural brings viewers to the exotic plains, with friendly animals serving as their guide.

Each cubicle contains paintings with scenic spots and cultural attractions from various countries, making one’s visit to the washroom seem like a round-the-world tour. An additional attraction is a reminder from the “big sisters” of washroom etiquette on the door of every cubicle.

As viewers prepare to leave by washing their hands in front of the mirror, they are submerged into the world of the ocean with decorations based on the theme “The Origin of Life”. The ocean covers most of the Earth’s surface and nurtures thousands of wonderful species. Let’s put on our diving masks and embark on an amazing underwater adventure.

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Soap-makingImagine making your own soap! The Brownies invited Food Angel to our Brownie meeting in March to teach us how

to recycle used cooking oil into household cleaning soap. The Brownies were divided into three groups. Pr. 6 and Pr. 5

Brownies worked with Food Angel staff to mix the used cooking oil with different chemicals and poured the mixture into

the molds. Pr. 4 Brownies decorated the liquid soap, and Pr. 3 Brownies helped to squeeze lemon juice to give the soap a

refreshing fragrance. Three weeks later, our Brownies happily brought home soap cubes that they made with their own

hands.

WWF STEP Our school participated in the Sustainable Lifestyle Target Education Programme (STEP) developed

by World Wide Fund Hong Kong. STEP is an outreach education programme which aims to promote

awareness among students of the issues of climate change and sustainable living. Through a

series of fun and interactive activities specially designed to meet primary

school students’ learning needs, students will recognise themselves as the

stewards of the planet, and become committed to take a “STEP” forward in

their daily lives to follow a sustainable lifestyle, protect the environment and

use resources wisely.

Environmental Protection

Post-exam Activities for Pr. 6

Dialogue in the Dark – Experiential Exhibition At this educational visit, Primary Six students were invited to challenge

their senses as they were immersed in total darkness for seventy-five

minutes. Students were led by professionally trained visually impaired

guides to experience the world in a unique and inspirational way;

from crossing a street to purchasing a snack and eating it in complete

darkness. Students were also taught how to use the Braille system and

had an inspiring sharing session with the tour guides to deepen their

empathy by understanding life from a visually impaired individual’s

perspective.

Garment Factory Visit in DongguanThrough participation in a one-day tour to a factory in Dongguan, the girls witnessed the process of B2B garment

manufacturing, from design concept generation to order placement to production. They also learned about achieving

sustainability through balancing manufacturing and the need for environmental protection.

Hong Kong Outward Bound SchoolOn the non-academic side, every year our Primary Six girls undergo an

intensive programme at the Hong Kong Outward Bound School (HKOBS).

Nowadays, leadership, communication, team work, integrity, acceptance

of responsibility, confidence and the like are key elements of success.

It is hoped that through the training received at the HKOBS, we are

empowering our students in becoming independent, trustworthy and

resilient individuals.

Designing t-shirts Taking a tour of the factory Students and parent helpers outside the factory building

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The school website was given a major revamp in the past academic year to improve viewer experience. As parents and students arrive at our homepage, they are greeted by a slideshow of photographs of students enjoying the various aspects of DGJS school life, including the drama-musical, school picnic, Sports Day or even having fun in different corners of the campus. At the lower left corner, the “What’s new” section keeps parents and students updated about the latest internal and external activities. The video on the homepage provides a summary of our curriculum and activities. After certain school-based sporting and music-related functions, videos comprising clips from competitions and performances are also uploaded for parents and students to enjoy.

The enhanced layout aims to make information more accessible to our audiences. Viewers can now utilise the blue banner at the top of the page for easy navigation, where they will find the information divided into seven categories. As each section is clicked, the subsections appear on the left, showing viewers the items that are classified under the chosen section.

We hope that our website will serve as a sharing platform for members of the DGJS community and an introduction to members of the general public who wish to learn more about our School.

M21M21 is a programme which is organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (香港青年協會). It aims to provide various opportunities to teenagers to participate in all aspects of the media industry in order to develop and unleash their creativity and potential. In the programme, students can try to be one of the members in the crew such as directors, anchors, cameramen, etc. and have hands-on experience in producing web TV and radio programmes in the studios. Through the activities, students can develop their awareness of media literacy and their analytical abilities on different media.

Primary Six RetreatIn collaboration with St Andrew’s Church, our school organised a one-day retreat for our Primary Six girls. It involved interactive discussions and activities with the girls that stress the importance of maintaining good family bonding as they progress into adolescence.

DGS Quest would like to thank you for your generous donations and we look forward to your continuous support

Enquiries: (852) 2277-9165 Website: www.dgs.edu.hk/developmentEmail: development@dgs.edu.hk Contact: Ms. Shirley Ping

GOAL

HK$380 million

HK$271 million

• Fundraising Target: HK$380 million

• Donations Received: HK$271 million(up to 30th June 2014)

Our School Website: a new look